ROBIN SEARS: A bittersweet election —cheers, tears and a kick in the teeth

Each leader won the right to few mild cheers and some tears this election night.

The premier hobbled back into office leading a minority, less 15 seats and tens of thousands of voters. Mr. Hudak gained huge numbers of new voters but was robbed of the dozen seats and power that his popular vote, spread more efficiently, might have delivered him. Ms. Horwath emerges with a much stronger caucus, but much less of the king-maker role than her strong campaign performance looked liked it might deliver only a few hours earlier.

And the province’s democracy took a kick in the teeth with more than half of the voters staying home for the first time in our history. At a time when more than half of the voters told pollsters it was time for a change for months before and right up to election day, this was a serious slap at every one of the political tribes and their ability to move voters. As the province sits teetering on the abyss of a double dip recession, more than half of all Ontarians said “None of the above” to those who will attempt to lead us out of it.

A minority government does not have to be the dysfunctional, hyper-partisan hysteria of the worst of the Harper years. Ontario a generation ago pioneered the civil solution-focused style of minority government with Tory/NDP co-operation. In the civil equivalent of a ‘war economy’, voters have told their leaders they expect a focus on managing through the impending storm. They will certainly punish the leader who puts party before country in such dangerous times. One may hope that the Premier understands his obligation to make the new legislature work to deliver the province from another dreadful winter.

Mr. Hudak and Ms. Horvath went out of their way to signal their intention to find paths to co-operation on election night. Mr. McGuinty, a sad rictus grin on his face throughout, gave a bad version of his campaign stump speech. No contrition, little grace and a ten second mention of his opponents. Not a statesman-like performance from a veteran premier at a moment when all eyes were focused on him.

As politicians with a future often do, Mr. Hudak delivered a better concession speech than his previous performance would have prepared a skeptical public for. His was an inept, robotic campaign, spitting nasty lines about foreigners, gay men and women, and nonsense about gender bending in elementary schools. His strategists are already in the doghouse in his own political family for their embarrassing performance, deservedly. The leader showed his grace and ability to reach beyond partisanship in his elegant exit speech.

Mr. McGuinty’s maudlin focus on family, followers and staff sounded like a good-bye. How he can manage a graceful exit from a minority government in the midst of a recession is not clear. That he was already thinking of retirement was written across his pained visage this election night.

It is Ms. Horwath who will be fascinating to watch. Energized by her campaign, her much stronger caucus, and by her ability to position herself as the stern mother whipping recalcitrant boys into more responsible behaviour, she will quickly attempt to frame herself as the ‘anti-politician’ fighting on behalf of the Ontarians most exposed and most terrified by the economic storms ahead.

Whether the leaders manage to govern civilly or descend into partisan bickering over the province’s fiscal nightmares immediately, we have surely returned to the 1970s in one respect: each of the teams is already planning a rematch for 18 to 24 months from now.

Robin Sears is the Senior Partner of Navigator Ltd., a Toronto communications firm. He is a former NDP campaign director.